The Spear
April 11-14 | Austin Middle School
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- Doors open at 7:00 am. Breakfast is available until 7:25 am. Tardy Bell at 7:30 am.
- The school day ends at 3:10 pm.
- Early Dismissal Days end at 11:15 am.
- Bring your supplies, GISD Chromebook, Earbuds/Headphones, and a clear or mesh backpack.
- Snack Bar Open- https://www2.mypaymentsplus.com/welcome
- If your child would like to wear a mask during the school day, please provide one.
April 4-8 @ AUSTIN
Monday, April 11
Dancing Dolls Try-outs begin (see flyer below for details)
Tuesday, April 12
- A+ Class 7:30-8:05
Wednesday, April 13
Thursday, April 14
- A+ Class 7:30-8:05
- 5th/ 6th grade Science Fair
- 8th grade Trip
- PTO $2 Free Dress
Friday, April 15
HOLIDAY - NO SCHOOL
Weekend
Relax and Enjoy
Upcoming in April:
April 14th: 5/6 STEM Fair
April 14th: 8th Grade Field Trip to Main Event
April 15th: NO SCHOOL
April 18-19th: MAP Testing
April 28th: Last A+ Class for the year
April 28th-29th: "To See the Stars" play performance
April 30th: UIL Choir Trip to Six Flags
May 6th: Peace Rally
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
- Bring a Water Bottle!
- Austin will no longer accept lunch deliveries from restaurants, fast food, or delivery services. If lunch is forgotten, a parent/guardian may drop off lunch at the front office.
- If your child would like to wear a mask during school, please provide one.
Students must have their ID badges around their necks before entering the building. If students forget their ID, they can get a temporary one at the front office. The charge is $1 per day. Students that do not have the money will be charged. Students that need a new badge can purchase one for $5.
**All Device forms must be completed through Skyward before a device can be checked out to a student.
ID Fines
We will begin send out the AMS student Fine list soon. Please review the list for your student's name and how much they owe the school.
Every time a school gets a temporary ID and do not pay, they are charged $1.
SOCIAL MEDIA ALERT
Parents, we are seeing an increase in shared inappropriate material through social media platforms. Please help by speaking with your student about social media use and content.
5th/6th Grade AMS STEM Fair
Science Fair at Austin is now in full swing for our 5th and 6th graders! We are excited to see our students challenge themselves and apply scientific processes outside of the classroom. The 5th/6th Grade AMS STEM Fair Date to April 14th. Below, you will find a broad schedule of what students have and will be doing at the AMS STEM Fair.
Feb 28-Mar 4
Complete Proposal and Registration: Students and parents register through the Scienteer website to begin the project. Students submit ideas for the project to a teacher for approval.
Mar 7-11
Background Research: Research into their topic area to see what has been done before and begin getting ideas for designing their experiments.
Mar 21-25
Experimental Design: Complete all forms and submit a Research Plan in Scienteer, reviewed by teachers and safety committees.
Mar 28-Apr 1
Approval and Feedback: Teachers and safety committees review projects (in Scienteer) and provide approval or feedback for revisions. Once a project has been approved, students may begin experimentation.
Mar 28-Apr 4
Experimentation: Students are performing experiments, documenting progress, and preparing fair materials. Teachers are checking in on progress.
Apr 4-8
Submitting Final Project: Students submit all their finalized materials.
Apr 14
STEM Fair: Students present their projects to judges.
*** Please note that this schedule does not reflect all the required assignments or due dates associated with the AMS Science Fair. Please visit the science teachers Canvas class for those details.***
Ad Section
ATTENTION PARENTS- AD SECTION
We are creating the student Ad section as an insert for the yearbook. All pictures and wording can be sent to melissaevans@gisd.org by May 6.
Parents are welcomed to create the ad or send in pictures/ words for students to create the Ad. Ads will be $5.00
All 5th-7th grade students will be limited to a 1/4-page ad and 8th grade students 1/2-page ad.
Has Your Child Been Absent?
The note should contain the following items:
- Student’s printed first and last name and GISD identification number
- Date of absence
- Reason for absence
Absentee notes must be received by the attendance clerk no later than three (3) days after the student’s return to school.
Austin Middle School's Academic Week At A Glance
ATTN: Parents/Guardians
RE: Canvas Observer Account Recommended
To view the Week At Glance Links below, you may need to set up your Parent Observer Account for Canvas. Many of you did this last year and will not need to set up a new account. If you need an account, please Click Here and go to the link under CANVAS OBSERVER GUIDE - TABLE OF CONTENTS for instructions.
- Math: Mrs. Mancil
- Science: Ms. Trevino
- Social Studies: Mr. Grasso
- Writing: Ms. Gonzales
- Reading: Ms. Salinas
- Tech Apps: Ms. Lee
- ELAR/MATH Co-Teach: Ms. Murphy
- Bilingual: Ms. Jones
6th Grade
- Math: Ms. Reyes
- Science: Ms. Diaz De Leon
- Social Studies: Ms. Terrell
- Reading: Ms. Root
- Writing: Mr. Murray
- Robotics: Ms. Marks
7th Grade
- Pre-Algebra: Mr. Ungurean
- Science: Ms. Costigan
- Social Studies: Ms. Ross
- Reading: Ms. Williams
- VEX Competition Robotics: Ms. Marks
8th Grade
- Algebra I: Ms. Cartmell
- Science: Ms. Carranza
- Social Studies: Mr. Williams
- ELAR: Mrs. Taras
- PLTW: Mr. Puccetti
Intervention
Electives
Athletics
Planning to Volunteer this year??
Please turn in completed forms to Diane Rattray in the front office of AMS. Thank you.
Teen Health Offers Vaccines
Medical
Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are available at all Teen Health Center Medical clinics. In order to receive their vaccinations, minors ages 5- 17 must have a Teen Health Consent Form (GISD families completed during school registration) and a Covid-19 Vaccine Consent Form signed by a parent or guardian. The Covid-19 consent may also be completed in Skyward Family Access or at www.teenhealthcenter.org. Call (409) 761-3530 to schedule an appointment at the Teen Health medical clinic of your choice.
Mental Health
Teen Health Center Offers Mental Health Therapy!
Galveston youth ages 0-21 are welcome. Mental Health therapy is provided via a secure telehealth platform and in person. If you feel your mental health is not where it should be, you can contact one of our Teen Health Center Mental Health Clinics!
To make a mental health therapy appointment, call: (409) 761-3530, ext. 7
SEL at AMS!
Responsible Decision Making:
Identifying Problems
Responsible decision making is the ability to make personal choices for things like behavior and social interactions across a variety of settings. Students must first be able to accurately recognize when they have a problem. Problems can range from difficulty meeting the expectations in a classroom, or to choosing whether to complete homework.
We often ask students to define the problem they are having and then generate ideas about how to solve the problem. But we sometimes neglect an important step, asking the students involved in the problem to share their ideas about why the problem is occurring.
Let’s say we’re having a problem with messy backpacks in the classroom. We work with students to define the problem: Our backpacks are disorganized! If we move straight to brainstorming solutions, we’re likely to come up with some variation of: Students need to keep the backpacks neater.
But if we first ask students why they think the backpacks are messy, we may discover a variety of underlying causes such as:
We don’t have enough time.
We linger so we can chat with each other.
We do not have a place to put everything.
If we determine which of these factors are the true cause, we will generate more lasting solutions to the problem. For instance, if the kids are rushing , we can focus on allowing more time for the cleanup process. If we determine that there is not enough space, we may designate certain places to store their belongings.
So, when engaging students in problem-solving, be sure to ask why they think the problem exists. Listen to them to capture their ideas and determine together the underlying causes. Then work together toward lasting solutions!
Sources:
https://www.landmarkoutreach.org/strategies/responsible-decision-making
https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment
Amy Argubright
Email: AmyArgubright@gisd.org
Principal's Corner
Remember to always exhibit our core values: RESPECT, RESPONSIBILTY, and READY to LEARN. Let's make the end of this school year the best.
Principal
Austin Middle School
Perseverance
Our theme for this month is Perseverance! Perseverance is that drive that helps you keep working even when you want to quit.
Example: You’re doing school work and it’s your hardest subject. Maybe it is a hard math problem, or a long essay, or maybe you have to stand up in front of the class and present. Whatever it is for you, it’s tough. You are struggling. Maybe you even want to give up but you know the work needs to get done and you know you have to do your best work. So you try harder. You stick with it and after some frustration and focus, you do it!! You got it done and did it to the best of your ability.
Email: ErikaPuccetti@gisd.org
Virtual Saturday Enrichment Programs
William & Mary Center for Gifted Education is offering Virtual Saturday Enrichment Programs this summer.
Summer SEP 2022 - registration is NOW open
Summer SEP Session 1: June 20 - 24, 2022 (AM & PM classes)
Summer SEP Session 2: June 27 - July 1, 2022 (AM & PM classes)
All courses will be held virtually via Zoom. Please check our Course Brochure and registration information. Times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST).
SEP Program Philosophy
SEP is an academically challenging program with an emphasis on inquiry-based learning for students. The program is not meant to supplant the regular school curriculum; rather, it recognizes the importance of allowing able youngsters to explore additional specialized areas of science, mathematics, humanities, and arts. Course activities are compatible with the expected achievement of talented students at specific grade and age levels. For more information on the courses available, please click the brochure HERE.
They will be offering a variety of Summer Saturday Enrichment Courses in both Mid June and end of June. All courses will be offered virtually and will cost $150 per course. You can read the description of each course in the brochure. Session 1 and 2 registration ends on June 3, 2022. When enrolling your child to a summer course, please consider the rising level. For example, your child completed 2nd grade and is going into 3rd grade during the Fall. You will enroll your child in 3rd grade courses.
Advanced Academic Specialist